Pillow



PILLOW' Sheet Filed June l, 1967 w w my? Q Feb. l1, 19u69 c.. s. ENELow PILLOW Sheet Filed June l, 1967 United States Patent O 3,426,372 PILLOW Gertrude S. Enelow, 199 E. Lake Shore, Chicago, Ill. Filed June 1, 1967, Ser. No. 642,797 U.S. Cl. -337 6 `Claims Int. Cl. A47g 9/ 00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fan-shaped pillow carrying preferably a non-matting compressible, particulate foamed filler material, and having a tab, extension or handle formed integral therewith to enable the pillow to be drawn into correct placement with relation to the head and the longitudinal axis of the spine of the user.

Background of the invention It h-as been recognized that the type of pillow used for sleeping can affect body activity during sleep and the extent of the lbenets to the body resulting from sleep. Thus, for example, it has ibeen recognized that the amount of tossing and turning a normal -individual does while sleeping is due, in part, to the type of pillow used. In addition, clenching and grinding `of the teeth which, technically, is referred to a bruxism, are directly influenced -by the type of pillow used, as are neck and shoulder tensions and lower back strains experienced during sleep. In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pillow which among other things, in the normal individual, induces more restful sleep and substantially elimin-ates the aforementioned physical disoomfitures attributable to sleeping pillows as heretofore made.

Summary of the invention Briefly, the pillow of this invention comprises a generally triangularly shaped pillow tick having a curved upper margin and converging side margins. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pillow tick is formed from four panels of fabric of substantially the same dimensions. The pillow is provided with an integral, essentially at, preferably triangularly truncatedly shaped tab, extension or handle having a curved upper margin and converging side margins -which are joined to and are substantially colinear with the converging side margins of the pillow tick. The handle advantageously is formed from multiple layers of the same fabric Iused in making the pillow tick, and the lower ends of the panels from which the pillow tick is formed desirably comprise the outer layer of the handle. By making the handle f the same fabric as Vthe pillow, any shrinkage of the fabric due to washing or cleaning will be substantially uniform and there thus will ybe substantially no resulting distortion of the pillow tick or the handle. Confined within the pillow tick, above the handle, is a particulate, non-matting, compressible lfoamed filler material, especially idesiralbly a foamed plastic material. The pillow advantageously is encased in a removable pillow case having the same general shape as the pillow. The pillow case has a compartment for the handle of the pillow to facilitate gripping of the handle and manipulation of the pillow into a desired position.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a view in -perspective of an embodiment of the pillow of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view -in perspective of said embodiment of the pillow in use;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side View in elevation of said embodiment of the pillow in use showing the relative position of the pillow in relation to the head and neck of a user;

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FIG. 4 -is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 5S of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the layers of fabric and the portions of the panels comprising the handle of said embodiment of the pillow;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIG. l;

FIG. 8 is a plan view o-f a pair of fabric panels used in mak-ing said embodiment of the pillow;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of said embodiment of the pillow;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 11--11 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of an embodiment of a lpillow case for use in connection with said embodiment of the pillow; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged `fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring, now, in greater detail to ythe drawings, the preferred embodiment of the pillow 10 illustrated is generally triangular in shape and comprises a pillow tick 12 containing a filler material 14, and an integral tab, extension or handle 16. The pillow tick 12 has an upper, curved edge 18 and substantially straight converging side edges 20--20. The pillow tick 12 advantageous-ly is formed of four panels 22, 2'4, 26, and 28 of a suitable fabric, the lower ends 22', 24', 26', and 28 of which desirably comprise the outer covering of the handle 16.

The panels 22 and 26, and the panels 24 and 28, are essentially mirror images of each other and are joined in opposed relation along their curved upper margins 30-30 by stitching 32, and along their outer side margins 34-34 by stitching 36-36 The joined pairs of panels 22 `and 26, and 24 and 28, in turn, are joined together along their inner margins 38--38 by centrally disposed stitching 40-40. The panels are tucked and stitched upwardly of the juncture of the curved edge 18 and the side edges 2020 to provide inwardly extending darts 42-42.

The handle 116, as shown, is generally triangularly truncatedly shaped, having an upper, curved edge 44, defined by stitching 46, a -blunt lower edge 48, and substantially straight converging side edges 50-50 which are essentially colinear with the converging side edges 20-20 of the pillow tick 12. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the handle 16 advantageously comprises a plurality of generally triangularly truncatedly shaped layers of fabric 52. While in the embodiment shown, six layers of fabric are utilized, four layers are preferred. As indicated hereinabove, the lower ends 22', 24', 26 and 28' of the panels 22, 24, 26 and 28 overlie 'the layers 52 comprising the handle 16 and form the outer covering thereof. In forming the handle 16 of the pillow of this invention, half, in the present instance three, of the layers 52 are joined along their converging side margins 54-54 to the corresponding opposed margins 50-50 of the lower ends 22' and 24', and 26 and 28', of the panels 22 and 24, and 26 and 28, by stitching 56-56. The stitched margins are then folded inwardly and the entire assembly, including the layers 52 and the end margins of the lower ends of the panels, are joined together by stitching 58-58. The stitching 46 which defines the upper, curved edge 44 of the handle 16 serves to firmly anchor or lock the layers 52 and the lower ends of the panels in place thereby to preserve the shape of the handle throughout the life of the pillow. The centrally disposed stitching 40-40' through the handle 16 is an extension of the stitching 40-40 and does not, in the embodiment shown, join the lower ends of the panels to layers 52. The length of the handle 16 is variable. Generally speaking, the length of the handle as -measured along the stitching 40-40' will range from about 3 to 6 inches.

The filler material 14 utilized in stuffing the pillow 10 of the present invention advantageously is shredded or particulate in form and is non-matting, moth-proof, and is firmly, but comfortably, compressible. While a wide variety of materials, both natural and synthetic, can be used for this purpose, optimum results are attained with a foamed plastic material such as polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polymethylmethacrylate, or the like. A suliicient quantity of the filler material should be employed to impart a firm, full, but ready and comfortable compressibility to the pillow.

While the size of the pillow of the present invention can be varied, it is preferred that it be relatively small. Thus, for example, excellent results can be achieved with a pillow having an upper curved margin of from about 22 to about 26 inches, and converging side margins, including the side margins of the handle, of from about to 14 inches. A pillow having the dimensions indi cated, when stued with shredded or particulate polyurethane Ifoam, will have an overall weight in the range of about 1/2 to about 1% lbs., usually about 3A lb., more or less.

The pillow can be provided with a pillow case or slip 60 of the same general overall shape of the pillow 10, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The pillow case 60 has a compartment 62 formed therein for receiving the handle 1-6. The pillow case, as shown, has two pairs of inwardly extending darts 64--64 formed therein to eliminate wrinkles. A zipper 66 desirably is attached to the upper curved margin of the pillow case to facilitate insertion and removal of the pillow 10.

The pillow is shown in use in FIGS. 2 and 3. When a user is in a supine position, as illustrated, the pillow should be placed under the head with the upper, curved margin thereof pointed in the same direction as the top of the head of the user. The handle 16, on the other hand, will be pointed in the same direction as the feet of the user, and will be located under the nape of the neck and will be substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the spinal column of the user. The handle enables the user to adjust the pillow by pulling it downwardly until a position is achieved which provides optimum comfort to the user and proper alignment of the head with respect to the spinal column.

Compression of the central portion of the pillow by the head of the user does not have any appreciable eect on the fullness of the pillow on either side of the head of the user. This condition tends to keep the head and spinal column of the user in proper alignment thereby eliminating tensions and strains in the area of `the neck, shoulders and lower Iback during sleep.

It should be understood that various modifications may be made in the preferred form of the invention described above without deviating from the lbroader aspects of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pillow comprising a generally triangularly shaped pillow tick having a curved upper margin and converging side margins, a substantially ilat handle for the pillow having an upper margin adjacent the pillow tick and converging side margins joined to and substantially colinear with the converging side margins of the pillow tick, said handle being integral with the pillow and serving to enable the pillow to be adjusted by the user to enable the axis of the curved upper margin of the pillow tick to be substantially al-igned with the longitudinal axis of the spine of the user when the user is in a supine position, and particulate, non-matting, compressible foamed iiller material lfor the pillow tick, said liller material being confined within the curved upper and converging side margins of the pillow tick and the upper margin of the handle.

2. A pillow in accordance with claim 1 wherein the handle is essentially flat and is formed of multiple layers of the same fabric as the pillow tick.

3. A pillow in accordance with claim 2 wherein the pillow tick encases said layers comprising the handle and forms the outer layer of the handle.

4. A pillow in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pillow tick is formed of -four generally triangularly shaped panels of substantially the same dimensions.

5. A pillow in accordance with claim 1 wherein the foamed filler material comprises small pieces of a foamed non-rigid plastic.

6. A pillow in accordance with claim 1 including a removable pillo/w slip of the same general shape as the pillow, said pillow slip having a compartmen-t for the handle of the pillow to facilitate manipulation of the -pillow into a desired position by the handle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,141,179 7/1964 McLean 5-337 3,220,770 ll/ 1965 Schaeffer 5--337 XR 3,222,695 12/1965 Brown 5-337 XR JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner.

A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

